Monoplane.



R. E. MOBRIDE.

MONOPLANB.

APPLICATION FILED fm1, 1912.

1,041,131. Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

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R. E. MOBRIDE.

MONOPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED Hum. 1912.

1,041, 1 3 1 Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

www0/oom R. E. MOBRIDE.

MONOPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED H1111, 1912.

1,041,1 81. Patented oct. 15, 1912.

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n f L E@ R. E. MGBRIDE. MONOPLANE.

APPLIOATION FILED rml. 1912.

1,041,1 31. Patented 001. 15,1912.

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noBEIrr E. MQBRIDE, or MULLEN, NEBRASKA.

MDN'PLANE.

Specificatie!! f Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912'.

Application alea renruary 1, 19'12. serial No. 674,740.

To allwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. MCBRIDE, a citizengof the United States, residing at Mullen, in the county of Hooker andl State of Nebraska, have invented' new and useful Improvements in Monoplanes, of which thefollowing is a specification. 1

Thisinvention relates to flyingy machines of the monoplane type, and its object is to provide a machine of this character which possesses increased efficiency in ease of control, ease of assembling or demounting, increased stability and facility with which the control apparatus can be shifted from one pilot tfo the secondv pilot or to both to gether.

With these' and other objects which shall appear from the description given, I shall proceed to explain my. invention in which similar references refer to-similar parts and in which:

F ig'urel is a top plan view. Fi 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front e evation. Fig. 4 is a diamet-rical curve of a section of the supporting surface. Fig. 5 is a dia-metricalI illustration of the operation of the rear elevating and steering rudders. Fig. 6 is the controlling mechanism of the rear elevating rudder-s. Fig. 7 isthe controlling mechanism for the rear steering rudder.

In thedrawings, A represents the body frame of the iying machine composed of the usual struts, ribs and bracings, B the lifting surfaces, C the rear elevating rudders, D the stabilizing fins, E the wing tips,

F the rear steering rudder, G the support to which the rear rudder F is hinged, H the centrally disposed Vertical stabilizing fin, I" the front wheels, J the rear wheel, K the springs which resiliently support the front Wheels, L the front skids, L the rear skid, M the coupling. where the supporting surfaces are coupled to the body A of the machine, N indicates the'point where the curved portion of the `supporting surfaces end, 0 and P indicate the couplings for the wing supports, Q, the axle to the front Wheel supporting the yokes U and U whichin' turn support theresilient springs K.

R indicates the pivoted frame work, within easy reach to each side of the pilot seats S', which controls through the operating cables S the stabilizing rudders C. Between the said controlling means R and the pilot seats S are the controls for the rear steering rudder F, indicated at T, with. foot rests Z projecting from said controlling' means T, said controlling means operating the rear steering rudder by means of cables Y pilot seat-s S are placed one in the rear of theother as indicated on the drawings.` ,I

The body frame work of this c'ar is o f the type common in monoplanes holding in its forward portion, the supporting planes B, the engine and propelling mechanism forward struts L, resilient wheel mounted mechanism K, U and U and wheels I, also front bracing struts L2. These front bracing struts L and L2 are of an approximately U-shaped construction.

The resilient means Yof mounting the wheels are composed of two vertical sup,- ports K surmounted by a coil spring` K2 resting upon the yokes U and U', which in turn support the front axles Q of the machine. n g

The supporting surfaces B are' of the usualy parabolic curve common to this structure of machines but havin a straighten ing camber from the body ramey A to the Wing-tip. It has al straight extension p01',- tion B2, and also a wing tip E which is straight in cross-sectional outline from the front and rea-r' but with an upwardly sloping curve from the inner edge to the outer edge, as indicated on the drawings in-.Figsx 1 and 3 at E. These keep said machinelnan approximately' stabilized position when in fiig t througlr the upfturned portions of the saidr wing-tips catching the air above their surfaces' and throwing the machine back into proper position the same as do the Wings of the' common soaring birds such, for instance, as the buzzard, while the rear portion Bx2 acts in' the same operative manner on their .undersurfacesl Thesupportingsurfaces are attached to the body frame work by means of couplings at approximately the point indicated on the drawings.

These supporting surfaces are also braced;

into operative position by means of Wing .supports B3 and B1 which arecoupled by means of coupling4 joints O and P at the points approximately indicated on the drawing as seen in F ig. 3; Furthermore said supporting surfaces are braced in the usual manner by wire or other suitable braces B5. In the rear of said body frame work are mounted stabilizing tins D which areplaced in an approximately horizontal position at Va dihedral angle to each other, one to each side of the frame. These stabilizing Thel fins are rigid and are of an approximately straight line cross-sections. Attached to the rear portionl of the frame'work in `a rigid vertical 'position .is a fin H, at the .rear e'nd of which is mounted the steering rudder su port `Gr from which the steering rudder F is manipulated to the right or left as desired. At approximately underneath the rearedge of said stabilizing fins D are placed two horizontal elevating rudders C' one to each side of the frame which are operated both up, or both down, or one up and one down as desired. A

The rear portion of the body frame work also supports the a proximately U-shaped strut L'I which rigi ly supports a mounted wheel J.

At approximately the forward portion of the frame are mounted two or more ilot seats one in the rear of the other, an on each side of these'pilot seats are mounted the vertical and horizontal rudder controls R and T. The controls R fonthe horizontal rudders C are mounted in a vertical position and pivotally o erated, the pivoted points bein indicated by R and having operating han les R2 by' which said mechanism can be operated in a forward and rearward manner, either separately or to ether, at the' will of the pilot. Attached to t is vertical mechanism and running to the horizontal rudders C are the control cables S. Between the mounting of this vertical* control mechanism and the pilot seats are mounted horizontal bars T having braces T with the rojections or foot rests Z as shown in Fig. 7 otP the drawing. This horizontal mounted mechanism is also pivotally connected at the points marked Xon said illustration. Bymeans of said foot rests Z, said mechanism can be operated in forward and rearward position thereby controlling the steering rudder F through the medium of operating cables Y. By this compact yet simple arrangement the horizontal rudders C andthe steering rudders F can be operated by one or both pilots at will, and can be operated in unison, or each one separate. If the rudders C are operated in an upward or downward manner and the steering rudder operated to the right or left the control of the machine is made perfect as diagrammatically indicated by Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Beside the coupling means for mounting or dismounting the supporting means as l I nipulate the elevating and steering rudders C and F. If the machine should tilt up on the right side, by the operation of the right control R forward and the left control rearward and the right foot rests Z forward the rudders are easily manipulated so that the left rudder C is lowered and the right rudder C is raised and the steering rudder F is shoved to the left thereby throwing said machine into proper horizontal position. It is not necessary, however, to manipulate the steering rudder F except in strong winds,

as the two horizontal rudders C will,alone,

control the lateral balance of the machine in light winds. The pilot has his option whether he will use one or both arrangements at t-he same time. When only the rudders C areI used the monoplane will not be veered out of its line of flight, thus escaping the tendency to veer which is had when the vertical rudder F is used.

I am not limited to the exact construction as illustrated nor to the exact mountings as shown but can and do modify lsaid mechanism to within the scope indicated.

Having now described the structure and operation of my device and having indicated the improvements over the art, what I claim as new, is

1. In a iying machine of the heavier-thanair type, the combmation with a central longitudinal body frame work, of forward and rearward approximately U-shaped supporting struts, resiliently mounted forward wheels, forwardly mounted supporting surfaces, rearwardly mounted approximately horizontal, stabilizing fins mounted v at` a dihedral angle to each other, a vertical stabilizing fin between said dihedral fins, a right and left mounted elevating rudder, a vertically mounted steering rudder and propelling mechanism.

2. In a ying machine of the heavier-thanair type, the combination of a central longitudinal' body, a supporting surface mounted to the forward left side of said body, a like supporting surface mounted to the right forward side of said body in the same plane as said left mounted surface, said surfaces having a arabolic curve with a rigid straight rear e ge portion and an upwardly sloplng end-tip, verticall and horizontally mounted rear stabilizing ns and elevating and steering rudders.

3. In a flying machine of the heavier-than-4 air type, having supporting surfaces, stabilizing fins, two elevating rudders and a single steering rudder, the combination therewith of a pivotally mounted controlling device within handy reach and to the right of a pilot seat, said controlling device consisting of a horizontal handle-operated bar, pivotally mounted uprights connected to said bar, vand controllin cables running from the rear portion of sai device to one of said elevating rudders, alike and second controlling device consisting of a horizontal bar and two pivotally mounted u rights to the left of said pilot seat having andles and controlling cables running to the second of said elevatling rudders, substantially as described.

4. In aflying machine of the heavier-thanair type, the combination of a body portion,

supporting surfaces, stabilizing fins, elevating rudders, steering rudders, propellin mechanism, controlling mechanism for sai elevating rudders and a controlling' device for said steering rudder, the said last mentioned controlling device consisting of a pivotally and horizontally mounted frame work, of separate cables running from said frame work' to said steering rudder, and said frame mounted on said framework, elevating and steering rudders mounted at the rear end of said framework, a rear .wheel and wheel sup orting strut mounted at the rear base of sal' framework, propelling and power mechanism mounted in the forward end of said framework, a forward strut, forward wheel supporting struts, resiliently mounted wheels on saidwheel supporting struts and supporting surfaces mounted to each side at they front end of said framework, said surfaces having a parabolic curve from front to rear, the camber of which decreasing from the framework to the wing-tip, a rear straight extension .to said surface and an upwardly turned wing-tip, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I `ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT E. MCBRIDE.

Witnesses F. T. MonmsoN, .Wi/f. W. GRUENIG. 

